The Kitchen Table deli/cafe: opening Tuesday, June 26th

If you have the chance on Tuesday, June 26th, head up to Clifton’s Worrall Road for the opening day of Bristol’s newest deli/cafe: The Kitchen Table.

Located at number 3 Worrall Road (the former home of Max’s Bistro), The Kitchen Table is a brand new venture from 24 year old Robyn Pegler, originally from Tetbury. “Throughout my life I have been involved with food”, says Robyn, “my dad being a baker since forever and my mum being a cook. Together they have run pubs, sandwich shops, an award winning deli, and recently a restaurant in Devon.”

Despite having worked with her parents at their old deli in Wooton-under-Edge, and at Bristol’s Carluccio’s deli, Robyn had always wanted to be a chef. A stint in Tetbury was followed by a move down to join her parents at their new restaurant The Normandy House in Devon…and after only 6 months, they received a silver Taste of the West Award.

While the restaurant was successful, Robyn found herself missing Bristol. “After a year and a half of being away from the bustling beauty of Bristol I was having withdrawal symptoms”, she says. “I wanted to move back but wanted to do something for me. I found the perfect site & after a couple of months it was mine. It was Max’s Bistro before, an Italian restaurant I’m told. It was bright purple and took coats of paint to cover and for some reason unbeknown to me they had painted the gorgeous butchers tiles outside the front in silver paint. A long slug with a few paintbrushes & scrappers and eventually The Kitchen Table was born.”

The grand opening of The Kitchen Table is set for 8.30am – 5.30pm on Tuesday, June 26th. Billing itself as a “deli/cafe”, there will be a relatively small number of tables along with a couple of comfy retro seats – but the real focus will be on takeaway. Producing a variety of dishes that will be sold from the cold counter, people that have little time to organise dinner can come and pick up as much or as little as they want.

Dishes available to take away will include those such as Moroccan Spiced Lamb Tagine; Pork braised in West Country Cider & Mustard; Mushroom, Spinach & Exmoor Blue Lasagne; Beef & Bath Ale Pie; Chorizo & Goats Cheese Tart, and Sweet Potato Thai Green Curry. If you’re organising a dinner party, you can even bring in your own dishes and have them filled – just ring ahead and let them know in advance.

Robyn will be making a wide range of cakes and puddings every day, and there will be a selection of lunchtime offerings available, either to eat in or take away. A salad counter allows customers to buy a bowl and fill it with a range of different salad options – options which will be seasonally inspired and will change regularly.

And the deli side of things? “We stock olives & antipasti ingredients, and a few dry goods. Things that you cant really buy from the supermarket, but I welcome comments and suggestions from anyone in regards to products they would love to see being sold here!”

Robyn’s keen to focus on local and seasonal produce as much as possible. “Being situated in Bristol means we are blessed to be surrounded by amazing West Country produce”, she says. “I want to emphasis the point of using local ingredients by supporting local businesses. I’m being supplied drinks from the Lovely Drinks Company which make lovely drinks just outside Bristol. All made, bottled, and delivered by themselves. I’m also going to be selling small tubs of ice cream, made and supplied by Granny Gothards in Taunton. The coffee we will be using is from Extract Coffee based in Iron Acton. I recently went to visit them at their unit and it was truly amazing to see the roasting taking place before my eyes.”

If you have time, do head over any time between 8.30am and 5.30pm on June 26th for Robyn’s first day of trading, when she will be offering free coffee with every purchase, and various free treats and tasters throughout the day. This place definitely sounds like an exciting addition to Clifton’s food and drink scene – I’m looking forward to checking it out for myself!